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The 52 Project

The 52 Project

It's not bloody rocket science

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The 52 Tips

What is The 52 Project?

We wrote this introduction as we started the project. Little did we know what it would become! Read on for a full explanation of the hormones we spent 2021 talking about in the tips and onwards into the book.

Read moreWhat is The 52 Project?
pass it on, sharing, kindness, knowledge, the 52 project, dulcie swanston, iain price, jen smith

#Tip52 – Pass it on

January 8, 2022

Pass on what you have learned.” This is one of the very best habit-stacks that you could do and entwined in every aspect of The 52 Project

Read More #Tip52 – Pass it on

offer, offer it, help, reciprocity, helping others, the 52 project, iain price, dulcie swanston, jen smith

#Tip51 – Offer it

January 6, 2022

When you make an offer (of help or support) to someone, your mirror neurones start firing – Dr Iain explains all with Jen & Dulcie

Read More #Tip51 – Offer it

play, the 52 project, sara sibai, play is good for you, dulcie swanston, iain price

#Tip50 – Play

December 23, 2021

We were joined by Sara Sibai all the way from Beruit to talk about how play is actually being more ‘grown up’ than trying to be ‘grown up’.

Read More #Tip50 – Play

jomo, joy of missing out, 52 project, jen smith, dulcie swanston, iain price

#Tip49 – Joy Of Missing Out – JOMO

December 16, 2021

Is there really such a thing as the Joy of Missing Out (JOMO)? More to the point, what’s the science?

Read More #Tip49 – Joy Of Missing Out – JOMO

slow it down, slow down, yoga, meditation, breathing, the 52 project, wellbeing tips, breath work

#Tip48 – Slow it Down!

December 16, 2021

In the chaotic time that December often is, tip 48 looks at slowing down to help you feel better and take time to refocus

Read More #Tip48 – Slow it Down!

affirmations, speak it out, the 52 project, dulcie swanston, iain price

#Tip47 – Speak it Out

December 3, 2021

It is possible to wire your brain for success – tip 47 looks at the power of affirmations and the brain science that goes with them

Read More #Tip47 – Speak it Out

scars, perfectly imperfect, the 52 project, mental scars, physical scars, resilience, wellbeing, dulcie swanston, iain price

#Tip46 – Perfectly Imperfect

November 29, 2021

Tip 46 actively challenges the perfection agenda – and how our imperfections actually add to who we are

Read More #Tip46 – Perfectly Imperfect

trust it, tip 45, intuition, the 52 project, iain price, dulcie swanston, gut feeling, trust

#Tip45 – Trust it

November 23, 2021

Is there science behind trusting your intuition? Of course there is – otherwise we wouldn’t have a tip about it…

Read More #Tip45 – Trust it

keep it, faith, hope, love, trust, the 52 project, dulcie swanston, iain price, afiniki akanet

#Tip44 – Keep it

November 13, 2021

Dr Afiniki Akanet joined us this week for what we think is potentially the ultimate habit stack

Read More #Tip44 – Keep it

Fright, scared, louise sugden, para power lifter, paralympian, challenge, the 52 project, Jen Smith, Dulcie Swanston, Iain Price

#Tip43 – Fright it

November 7, 2021

It’s good to include a little bit of fright in your life! Louise Sugden, Paralympic medal winning power lifter, joined Iain, Dulcie & Jen to explain how changing sports was so scary – but so rewarding

Read More #Tip43 – Fright it

red wine, red wine is good for you, the 52 project, iain price, dulcie swanston, benefits of red wine

#Tip42 – Make it Red

October 28, 2021

This week we were joined by our special guests Nick & Perry from the Big Table group who helped us discover why a glass of red wine on a regular basis might be good for us…

Read More #Tip42 – Make it Red

laughter, laughing, science of laughter, joe rowntree, the 52 project, neuroscience

#Tip41 – The Best Medicine

October 21, 2021

Dulcie in her campervan, Dr Iain in his comedy shirt and real life comedian Joe Rowntree talk the science of laughter and why laughing is part of being human

Read More #Tip41 – The Best Medicine

gaze, star gazing, the 52 project, dulcie swanston, iain price, stars, universe, wellbeing

#Tip40 – Gaze

October 8, 2021

We have looked to the stars from ancient times. Echos of the stars and the heavens are seen in all sorts of facets of human history. So whats the draw today? And why should we care?

Read More #Tip40 – Gaze

ground, grounding, walking barefoot, wellbeing, bare feet, neuroscience, the 52 project

#Tip39 – Keep Your Feet on the Ground

October 7, 2021

This week, Dulcie braved her garden barefoot and Dr Iain explains about atoms, grounding and the benefits of walking outside without your shoes on.

Read More #Tip39 – Keep Your Feet on the Ground

abstract, the 52 project, art, wellbeing, neuroscience

#Tip38 – Be Abstract

September 28, 2021

Most off us associate playing with paint as a childhood activity – but actually there’s some amazing science that tells us why it’s SO good for adults too.

Read More #Tip38 – Be Abstract

wait, wait for it, bulbs, the cactus surgeon, delayed gratification, rewards, when to plant bulbs, hannah powell, jen smith, dulcie swanston, iain price, the 52 project

#Tip37 – Wait for it

September 25, 2021

From planting bulbs in the autumn to flower in the spring to leaving Malteasers on your desk for a week – the power and discipline of waiting is incredibly good for you!

Read More #Tip37 – Wait for it

managing monsters, advice monster, personality, the 52 project, DigitalJen, Jen Smith, Iain Price, Dulcie Swanston, Roger Steare

#Tip36 – Managing Monsters

September 16, 2021

We’re not talking about cute, cuddly monsters – we’re talking about the ones that really don’t help us in our day to day lives and how questions can help tame them

Read More #Tip36 – Managing Monsters

bookend your day, start, finish, day, the 52 project, 52 tips, wellbeing, Jen Smith, Iain Price, Dulcie Swanston

#Tip35 – Bookend Your Day

September 9, 2021

How we start and finish our day can make a huge impact on what happens in the middle – our mindset and our wellbeing.

Read More #Tip35 – Bookend Your Day

flock, find your flock, identify, the 52 project, Jen Smith, Iain Price, wellbeing

#Tip34 – Find Your Flock

August 29, 2021

Being part of a flock (or flocks) that share values, vision, beliefs and journeys on a flexible and dynamic basis is really good for you – Jen and Dr Iain explain more

Read More #Tip34 – Find Your Flock

caffeine, caffeine reduction, cut out caffeine, coffee, performance, the 52 project, iain price, amy leighton

#Tip33 – Cut it Out

August 29, 2021

Do you rely caffeine to get through the day; to wake up, keep focused and stay energised? For many, if not most of us, starting the day habitually includes boiling the kettle to make a cuppa – and it’s not all bad. However…

Read More #Tip33 – Cut it Out

mind your language, language, learning languages, brain training, the 52 project, learning, 52 tips, wellbeing, it's not bloody rocket science, think it out

#Tip32 – Mind Your Language

August 19, 2021

earning a new language could sound like another one of those time-consuming activities that just takes up too much time and energy especially when you could be doing something else. The reality is you could be really missing out if you don’t. Learning a new language provides huge benefits for your brain and your productiveness.

Read More #Tip32 – Mind Your Language

let it go, release, change, the 52 project

#Tip31 – Let it Go!

August 10, 2021

Lots of big questions this week – looking at what it is in our lives that we can let go to help us move forward and live better

Read More #Tip31 – Let it Go!

make something, crochet, success, tom daley, why is crochet good for you, neuroscience, the 52 project

#Tip30 – Make Something of it

August 7, 2021

This week we’re talking about the power of crochet and why doing something with both hands that lets you focus on creating something can do wonders for you – like Tom Daley shows!

Read More #Tip30 – Make Something of it

breakfast, breakfast brain, intermittant fasting, katie maycock, the 52 project, the 52 tips

#Tip29 – Breakfast Brain

August 5, 2021

We weren’t entirely sure about featuring this tip as it seemed a bit hardcore – however, Katie Maycock busted some myths and explained how fasting actually helps your brain and body to function better

Read More #Tip29 – Breakfast Brain

mood hoovers, mood radiator, the 52 project, dave rogers, fit fearless and fuelled up,

#Tip28 – Mood Hoovers

July 22, 2021

Mood hoovers are those small things (and sometimes bigger ones) that give you little doses of sadness, regret or guilt. With guest Dave Rogers, we look at how to remove those mood hoovers from your life to make you feel better

Read More #Tip28 – Mood Hoovers

one thing, prioritise, productivity, focus, the 52 project, caroline laycock, dulcie swanston, iain price

#Tip27 – The One Thing

July 10, 2021

We all know that feeling of becoming overwhelmed because our ‘to do’ list has too much on it and we don’t know where to start. We want to share a tip with you that you can do instead of the worrying, which will actually enable you to use your brain fuel to get the ‘to do’ list down.

Read More #Tip27 – The One Thing

ripple effect, kindness, thank you day, 2021, Jen Rolfe, Dulcie Swanston, Iain Price, random acts of kindess

#Tip26 – Ripple Effect

July 4, 2021

We are social creature that have actually evolved to benefit from doing acts of kindness for each other – for others in our tribe or species. When we give, we can actually receive almost more than we give away in the process.

Read More #Tip26 – Ripple Effect

game, gaming, mental health, benefits, the 52 project, is gaming good for you,

#Tip25 – Game On!

June 23, 2021

Computer games can get a bad press. We were inspired to find out the real science behind the headlines after a couple of things happened in our real lives. In a nutshell it turns out that playing games (as always we use the caveat “in moderation”) can have loads of different health and wellbeing benefits.

Read More #Tip25 – Game On!

sleeping in sync, sleeping, sleep, wellbeing, tips, the 52 project, james bushe, hiv activist

#Tip24 – Sleeping In Sync

June 23, 2021

Sleep is an incredibly important part of our brains’ activities. I mean why would ours spend so much time doing it if not?
We invited professional sleeper, commercial pilot, HIV positive activist and a super The52Project experimental partner James Bushe (aka @bushepilot) to talk about his experiences so that we might all get more in sync with our own body clocks and rhythms.

Read More #Tip24 – Sleeping In Sync

reframe, the 52 project, reframing, perspective

#Tip23 – Time to Reframe it

June 12, 2021

As Stephen Covey said: “the problem is not the problem; the problem is how we see the problem.” In other words, perspective alters our perception and our perception/s alters our reality – in fact our perception becomes our reality, whether it is actually real or not…

Read More #Tip23 – Time to Reframe it

flip it, turn phone upside down, change of perspective, the 52 project, 52 tips, flip

#Tip22 – Flip it!

June 9, 2021

The idea this week is to use a 21st century tool most of us carry with us most of the time – a smart phone – to take pictures upside down, from down low, sideways, through objects and off reflective surfaces such as puddles. The science here is to challenge and see what else we can see by changing our perspectives.

Read More #Tip22 – Flip it!

#Tip21 – Hugs Matter

June 4, 2021

Now that we’re allowed to (carefully) in the UK, we’re looking at hugging, scruffy dogs and why physical connection is good for us

Read More #Tip21 – Hugs Matter

tip20, roll with it, roll a ball under your feet, roll, the 52 project, hedge haigh, dulcie swanston, iain price

#Tip20 – Roll with it!

May 22, 2021

This week’s top tip has so much science involved we can barely contain ourselves – and it’s all about how rolling a tennis ball under your feet can reduce stress and more…

Read More #Tip20 – Roll with it!

blink, blinking, memory, positive memories, mood boost, remembering, the 52 project

#Tip19 – Blink or you’ll miss it!

May 16, 2021

This week’s top tip is that blinking, taking a moment to take a mental ‘snap shot’, can really help us remember the positive moments in our lives, so that we not only remember them but reflect and see more of these kind of events in the future.

Read More #Tip19 – Blink or you’ll miss it!

singing, sing it out, singing is good for you, neuroscience, wellbeing, community wellbeing project, the 52 project, 52 tips, tip 18, its not bloody rocket science, think it out, singing for fun

#Tip18 – Sing it Out!

May 8, 2021

Whilst your family might not thank you for belting out your favourite tunes in the shower, or whilst hoovering or whilst dancing at a party after a little too much fizz, you go on ahead – you are doing great things for your immune system and adding to your oxytocin reserves.

Read More #Tip18 – Sing it Out!

colour matters, colour, colour psychology, colour science, neuroscience, performance, the 52 project, 52 tips, success, peformance, dulcie swanston, iain price

#Tip17 – Colour Matters!

May 5, 2021

The colours we wear, the colours we choose to paint our rooms with those we choose to accessorise our homes and ourselves with can affect our mood and our behaviours.

Read More #Tip17 – Colour Matters!

tip 16, brew and dance, dance in the kitchen, dance while making tea, dance, just dance, the 52 project, 52 tips

#Tip16 – Brew & Dance

April 24, 2021

This tip is so simple many of you may already occasionally do this without thinking about it – especially if, like us, you are parents that like to embarrass your children… What is it?

Read More #Tip16 – Brew & Dance

be smelly, fragrance, smell, aroma, wellbeing, sleep, lavender, the 52 project, 52 tips, neuroscience, community wellbeing project

#Tip15 – Be Smelly!

April 16, 2021

Smell is an incredibly evocative sense. We suspect most of you will know what it feels like to have a sudden rush of emotion and memory when you unexpectedly catch a scent that takes you back…

Read More #Tip15 – Be Smelly!

plant power, beetroot, beetroot juice, wellbeing, nutrition, stamina, the 52 project, performance, dulcie swanston, 52 tips

#Tip14 – Plant Power!

April 9, 2021

Beetroot juice is good for you?? Really? Studies show that it can have an impact on how mentally sharp you are and that it can help people train faster for longer. Intrigued?? So were we…

Read More #Tip14 – Plant Power!

treats, chocolate, the 52 project, treat yourself, wellbeing, the 52 project, iain price, dulcie swanston, a little of what you fancy does you good

#Tip13 – Treat Yourself!

April 6, 2021

We thought we would bring the science of why chocolate (in moderation) is good for you – and why ‘treating’ yourself to an edible or any other reward actually works as a way to feel good and perform better.

Read More #Tip13 – Treat Yourself!

playlist, music, change your mood, the 52 project, iain price, dulcie swanston, its not bloody rocket science, think it out, the 52 project, 52 tips, wellbeing, listen to music

#Tip12 – Playlist for Life

March 28, 2021

Whether it’s an absolute banger, a power ballad, the cheesiest disco pop possible, heavy rock, opera, classical, purely instrumental, hip hop, nature sounds or trance, we want to know what music you use to get yourself into a different zone or place.

Read More #Tip12 – Playlist for Life

small moments matter, nature, wellbeing, mood, the 52 project, 52 tips, community wellbeing project, iain price, dulcie swanston

#Tip11 – Small Moments Matter

March 23, 2021

There is plenty of evidence to suggest that improving and maintaining our connection with nature, especially by immersing ourselves in it, can calm us down and improve our sense of balance and wellbeing.

Read More #Tip11 – Small Moments Matter

keep smiling, smile, seratonin, wellbeing, mood booster, habits, habit stacking, iain price, dulcie swantson, the 52 project, 52 tips

#Tip10 – Keep Smiling!

March 18, 2021

When we smile our brains release a cocktail of neurotransmitters that we have already spoken about as having a positive impact on our mood and wellbeing: dopamine and serotonin (also called 5-HT) as well as endorphins – our self-made natural painkillers. These help lower anxiety and increasing feelings of happiness.

Read More #Tip10 – Keep Smiling!

time travel, tardis, back to the future, the 52 project, reflection, iain price, dulcie swantson, 52 tips, community wellbeing project

#Tip9 – Time Travel

March 16, 2021

So confession time: Back to the Future is probably one of our favourite films of all time. Now this probably says a lot about our age. As science geeks we have been speaking about what if we could time travel – and then it hit us when talking to a colleague and therapist Mark Evans that we already have all the equipment we need(ish) in our own brains.

Read More #Tip9 – Time Travel

tip8, pay attention, non dominant hand, look closely, the 52 project, think it out, its not bloody rocket science, habit stacking, moodboosting

#Tip8 – Pay Attention!

February 26, 2021

Two tips in a week! Firstly, try using your non-dominant hand (really!) and secondly, pay attention – we’ll explain all.

Read More #Tip8 – Pay Attention!

power of a pint, pint of water, water before you get up, drink water in the morning, rehydration after sleep, the 52 project, wellbeing, boost, brain power

#Tip7 – The Power of a Pint

February 19, 2021

Each night before you go to bed, get a pint of water and put it by your bedside. This is not to drink during the night (so you might need 2 glasses if you sip during the night). This pint is especially and exclusively to drink first thing in the morning when you wake up.

This idea is so simple, it’s hard to believe it can do so much good. But before we get into the science of why, in this case, simple is sensational, let’s talk about why it’s good to be prepared.

Read More #Tip7 – The Power of a Pint

tip6, plank, exercise, is doing the plank good for you, wellbeing, habits, tips, dulcie swanston, iain price, the 52 project

#Tip6 – Do the Plank!

February 12, 2021

Strength training can give you many of the daily wellbeing and stress protective benefits without all the sweat – literally! So this week we will be talking about a tip that can truly help you get your quick daily exercise hit, with the benefits, with way less of the faff. The plank!

Read More #Tip6 – Do the Plank!

tip5, 52 tips, the 52 project, breathe, breathing, mindful breathing, iain price, dulcie swanston, habits

#Tip5 – And Breathe!

February 3, 2021

We are finding out that a truly life changing tip is as simple as a quick morning breathing exercise to set us up for the day.

Read More #Tip5 – And Breathe!

morning sun, light, mood, habits, wellbeing, the 52 project, 52 tips, it's not bloody rocket science, think it out, iain price, dulcie swanston

#Tip 4 – Morning Sunshine!

January 29, 2021

The right light at the right time is really good for our bodies and brains. Try morning sunlight in particular if you are feeling low. It might just be a brilliant thing to introduce into your morning to boost your whole day!

Read More #Tip 4 – Morning Sunshine!

tip 3, grateful thoughts, the 52 project, 52 tips, well being, gratitude journal, neuroscience, why being grateful is good for you, dulcie swanston, iain price

#Tip3 – Grateful Thoughts – with a boost! Write them down!

January 29, 2021

Thinking about what you are grateful for is proven to release dopamine into your body. Writing those things down gives you a double whammy! – Serotonin release too!

Read More #Tip3 – Grateful Thoughts – with a boost! Write them down!

warm bath, warm afternoon bath, the 52 tips, 52 project, wellbeing, are warm baths good for you, neuroscience

#Tip2 – Warm Afternoon Bath

January 27, 2021

OK so this one is really easy to explain! At least twice a week, take a hot bath in the afternoon for 30 minutes. Ideally, follow it by another 20 minutes taking it easy and staying warm.

Read More #Tip2 – Warm Afternoon Bath

tip1, the 52 project, cold showers, iain price, dulcie swanston, wellbeing, are cold showers good for you

#Tip1 – Cold Showers

January 27, 2021

At the end of your normal hot shower, you turn the dial and make it cold for the last 30 seconds. A quick blast of freezing cold water that jolts your body and mind, that science suggests might be really good for us for all sorts of reasons – some we don’t even understand properly yet.

Read More #Tip1 – Cold Showers

Ready to get started?

#the52tips are a collection of new and existing ideas – some of which are widely publicised online. Some of the tips may not be good for you if you have an underlying health condition. If you are at all unsure, please check with your doctor before trying anything we suggest as we cannot be liable for anything that happens to you.


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